Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-06-10
powDEaLY TO THE KNIGHTS.
Patriotic and Timely Advice in Re.
gard to Celebrating indie.
pendence Day.
To the Order wherever found, Greeting:

To the Order wherever found, Greeting:
For several years the practice of holding
demonstrations and celebrations on the Fourth
OF July has been dying out. The old and the
middle.aged are forgetting that on the fourth
day OF July, l77G, nation was born and u gov
eminent was innugurnted which differed from
the governments md nations of tho earth, mas
much as it WAS to be nation and q government
to be composed of tho whole people, to be man
the intention that those who served the
people Us public officers to act for the whole
people.
Even While the Declaration of Independence
was being read, the struggle for liberty-for free
speech, for % free people and a free country
was going on. and it continued until liberty
throughout the length and breadth of the
United Colonies Was an established fact
For years the citizens of the republic were
accustomed to meet on each succeeding Fourth
OF July and celebrate tho event which pro-
cl;Limcd u nation born. For years the doings of
those who erected the proud structure on which
our Government rests were told and retold in
song and story.
Each Fourth of July saw tho citizens of the
republic gathered together under one-and only
square, and, amid the booming of cannon and
boating of drums, awakened memories of the
days thtt tried mems souls
The 81 o lcr CT the day told how the mower
OF IL king gave wav ut the command of the peo-
pie, CT, if no speaker could be had. one of the
eeleorants re,d to the assembled multitude the
Old men among us recall such incidents
us these, bat they fust forgetting how it
was done or what it WAS for. and the young
people are not tnught to respect or celebrate
the day.
Such condition of affairs is wrong and un-
patriotic.
ton that should never cease to remember that
they. above oil Others. should celebrate the
fourth day Of July and keep alive the memo
tunes, thos. who acquire lar 20 tracts of land in
the GO nrr., end who own blocks of buildings
| III c.tns, y.sc not the ones who celebrate or
car. to cele.,r,,t,, lEnt llav which cmye to the
world nation whose strength lny i'll her com.
mon people. IL belongs, therefore, to the ones
| best under our Government, to the common
people. to ki;idle u!.ca ilorn and keep forever
| alive the memories of tho struggle which de-
throned the king i'll royal robes and enthroned
the sovereign III honespun-which discarded
nnd spar upon the sccpter of IL monarch and
honored aid oAnltol the hammer and ploW-
/ nEHdle OF tuc i.i'Ln OF toll
Two classes, representing diverse feelings and
Interests, would h,tre tho common people forget
thu %e have u country or u nag. The monopo-
list nm the nnnrch.. t care nothing for ..lneri-
| cnn liberty cr institutions. The former, having
| accumulated an immense fortune would hail
with eight s:ll9 and strong government.
and is hopeful of change in tnat direction.
The latter has either lost hope in institu-
tioas or else knows nothing about them or their
history, and would destroy both the good and
the bad i'll them to mako way for tho rule of
nobody and nothing.
Monopoly and anarchy are twin evils The
latter, by attempting to overturn all law and
order because some of our laws are not properly
administered, would give to the former the
pretext for the establishment of u strong
Government. Monarchy before anarchy! would
then be the cry. Tho wntchword of the peo-
pie should be: Neither monopoly a,o, anarchy
shall rule IN this com'lt'y-boM must go. Men
who labor by hand or brain make up two thirds
OF our voting population. Two-thrds OF the
voters Gun. if they uro honest, patriotic and
vigilant, vote good men into office, and good
y,rn " vote a1 nd sSfa ,uf1,
people, will make and enforce good laws. It
follows that, if There is anything wrong in the
affairs of State or nation, We the people, arc to
blame, and Mo have no right to srumble or
threaten to break up tho Government because
of our own neglect What, then, is our duty2
What is the duty of the Knights of Labor in
particular? 1t is to study the principles on
which our Government is based and teach
others what we have learned.
therefore recommend that on next Fourth
of July the members of the order, where there
is an assembly in existence, hold demonstra-
tons and celebrations in honor of the birth Of q
peoples government.
II other societies intend to celebrate the
Knights join in; il no other society will
celebrate, then the Knights should celebrate by
stration would cause some liberty hating en-
ployer to discharge his workmen, would I'D
wise that no risks be tnken. Join in with other
citizens in getting up celebrations. Secure q
speaker to deliver short address, If no speak,
er can be had, secure q good reader to read the
Declaration OF American Independence: In the
line OF march AMI your stnnds and public
places use only fiag-the stars ana stripes.
Snow to the world that no lnatter where the
Knight OF Labor citizen was born he respects
and honors the United States flag. Show to the
world that are determined to find out what
is wrong i'll our system of government, and that
we are equally as determined to right such
wrongs may exist, by peaceful, legitimate
means.
desire, Also that tho question of the restora-
ton Of the peoples lands to the care Of the peo-
pie be discussed. Pass resolutions declaring
that the holding Of from fifty to sixty millions
of acres of the public domain by aliens is sinful
and I'M merican. Go further, and demand that
tho alien landlord shall let go his hold.
Pass resolutions declaring that every acre Of
land acquired by fraud, perjury, or chcanery,
is an acre stolen, and demand that the thief be
required to make restitution to the people.
Pass resolutions never to take your eyes off
the land until good, plain simple honest
law shall govern the holding Of land, whether
poration. Make the land for the people, under
the peoples laws, the question of the day. It
was not for air, sunshine or water alone that
our fathers fought; it was for the land, and We
must hold this land free from the shark and
speculator, whether native or alien.
This is no political question; it is national,
n patriotic question and must be understood.
Do not fear the taunts or ridiculs of any man
or set of men. Let those who feel 30 disposed
call our demonstrations spread- eagleisln" or
yankee Doodleism," if they choose. Give
that we prefer sprend-eag leism to indifference.
Let it be understood that we are determined
that the wings Of the eagle shall hereafter
spread over nation of free men and women,
who own the land We live in that the wings of
the eagle shall no longer spread over single
acre of land owned controlled by alien
landlord or native rogue.
Do not forget to celebrate i'll a becoming, dig
niied manner the one hundred and eleventh
birthday of American independence, especially
as this year is the centennial anniversary of the
formation OF the Constitution under Which We
now live. r. V. PoWDERLY,
General Master Workman